Outbreak News Today

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on an outbreak of an unknown respiratory illness at Greenspring, a long-term care facility with assisted living and skilled nursing care, in Springfield, Va., the Fairfax County Health Department reports a total of 63 individuals out of 263 residents in the assisted living and skilled nursing sections of Greenspring have become […]The post Springfield, VA Assisted Living Facility outbreak update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Taiwan health officials are reporting (computer translated) a typhoid cluster in the northern part of the country, which affected three people in one household. A woman in her 30s, her young child and an Indonesian nurse in her 30s were confirmed to have the disease on July 2, Tuesday last week and […]The post Typhoid cluster reported in Taiwan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Alberta health officials are reporting a dramatic and rapid increase in syphilis cases, prompting a provincial outbreak declaration. A total of 1,536 cases of infectious syphilis were reported in 2018 compared to 161 in 2014, almost a tenfold increase. The rate of infectious syphilis has not been this high in Alberta since […]The post Canada: Syphilis outbreak in Alberta appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) reports that since the July 9, 2019 update, anthrax has been detected on three additional premises in southwest Sutton County and one premises in south central Crockett County. Officials quarantined the premises after animals tested positive for the reportable disease. To date, eight premises in three […]The post Anthrax in Texas update: Eight premises in three counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that showed outbreaks of Cryptosporidium (Crypto) in the United States increased an average 13% each year from 2009-2017. On today’s podcast, Joseph Eisenberg, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health […]The post Cryptosporidium in the US with Joseph Eisenberg, Ph.D. appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Florida health officials reported an additional 85 hepatitis A cases last week, bringing the total cases for the year to 1898, more than 3-times the total for all of 2018. Pasco County has accounted for 350 cases, the most of any county, followed by Pinellas County (312), Volusia (165), Orange (136), Hillsborough […]The post Florida reports 1900 hepatitis A cases so far, Pasco County has seen the most appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The British Columbia Ministry of Health reported a human rabies case in a resident who has subsequently died. This is the first human rabies case in the province in 16 years and in Canada in seven years. The adult male was in contact with a bat in mid-May 2019 and developed symptoms […]The post Canada: 1st human rabies case reported since 2012 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews El Paso, TX health officials have reported an additional confirmed measles case, about a week after two cases were confirmed for the first time in 25 years. The most recent case is in a male toddler. It is not believed this second toddler exposed the general public to the disease, however, those […]The post El Paso reports 3rd measles case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials in Singapore recorded the most dengue fever cases in a week in three and one half years last week, according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA). 666 dengue cases were reported in the week ending 13 Jul 2019, 73 cases more than in the previous week. This surpasses the […]The post Singapore reports 666 dengue cases last week, highest weekly total in 3 1/2 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials in the Zamboanga Peninsula are expressing alarm over the increase in dengue fever cases this year in the region. According to DOH-Region 9 director, Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, 8,076 cases of dengue, including 46 deaths have been recorded as of July 6 this year, or 285 percent higher than the 2,067 cases […]The post Dengue in Zamboanga up 285 percent this year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) is issuing a rabies alert for neighborhoods surrounding Altamonte Springs. The alert is in response to a feral cat which tested positive for rabies in that area. Residents in the area near Bunnell Rd and Sunshine Lane bordered to the north by State Road […]The post Rabies alert issued for Altamonte Springs area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new study led by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers Caitlin Pepperell and Bruce Klein have identified a specific genetic vulnerability among Hmong people that renders them more susceptible to the disease-causing fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. “We were struck by this because it hadn’t been described before … rates were 10-to-100 times greater than one might expect based on […]The post Blastomycosis in Hmong population: New University of Wisconsin–Madison research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization announced today that Maldives has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Maldives is the second country in WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this feat, after Thailand. Globally, congenital syphilis is the second leading cause of preventable still births while mother-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for 9% new infections. Maldives’ […]The post Mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis eliminated in Maldives appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Last week, Ghana health officials reported a confirmed circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in an environmental sample collected from Tamale Metropolis, Northern Region. The virus is linked to one of the circulating poliovirus loci in Kwara State, Nigeria. There have been no associated human cases of AFP in Ghana. However, the […]The post Ghana reports polio in environmental sample from Tamale appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pat Breysse, Ph.D., Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, will deliver the keynote address at Legionella Conference 2019, to be held Sept. 11-13 in Los Angeles. Dr. Breysse, who leads CDC’s efforts to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and health, […]The post Legionella Conference 2019: CDC’s Dr. Pat Breysse to Deliver Keynote Address appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Malaysia are investigating a malaria cluster in Kuala Lipis, Pahang state. On July 11, 2019, a case of four (4) cases of malaria-confirmed cases was reported to Kuala Lipis District Health Office (PKD) from Betau Health Clinic. All cases involving Orang Asli children aged 4 to 10 are from […]The post Malaria cluster reported in Pahang, Malaysia; Last case reported in 2011 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Several regions in the Philippines have exceeded the epidemic threshold for dengue fever during the first half of 2019, prompting the Department of Health to declare a National Dengue Alert Monday. From January 1 to June 29 this year, most cases are from Western Visayas (13,164), CALABARZON (11,474), Central Visayas (9,199), SOCCSKSARGEN […]The post Philippines: National Dengue Alert declared as cases top 100K appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Health reported the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case in the city of some 1 million people, the capital of North Kivu, Goma. I take a look at what health officials say about the case. In addition, I look at the High-Level Event on Response and […]The post Ebola in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

State Veterinarian Doug Meckes is reminding livestock and pet owners to be vigilant in their tick preventative measures during warm weather. Recently, the deaths of five cows in Surry County were linked to acute anemia caused by tick infestations. Samples were sent to the N.C. Division of Public Health, Communicable Disease Branch for identification which […]The post North Carolina veterinarian warns about Asian longhorned ticks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Mississippi Mississippi health officials have reported the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in 2019 in a Smith County resident. “This first case of 2019 is a reminder that each year we have WNV cases in Mississippi and that all Mississippians need to act now to reduce their risk of […]The post Mississippi reports 1st human West Nile virus case, Alabama first case in a horse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Get Going Travel Insurance in the UK recently put out a post concerning the top riskiest nations concerning infectious disease when traveling. In this video, I go over the top 5, according to Get Going, riskiest nations based on their data. Dengue 2019: A look at the first six months Infectious diseases contracted on a […]The post The Top 5 Riskiest Nations for Travel Infectious Diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A three-day polio vaccination campaign took place in the province of Lunda Norte, according to Angolan press. The campaign vaccinated 205,688 children between the ages of zero and five, in the ten municipalities of the province. Angola has reported two circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks in the country this year–one in Lunda […]The post Polio vaccination campaign in Angola appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported the first chikungunya cases of the year in three people who traveled to Thailand together during the incubation period. Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus. It is clinically characterized by fever frequently accompanied by joint pain. Other common […]The post Hong Kong reports 3 chikungunya cases in travelers to Thailand appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A new locally transmitted dengue fever infection has been reported in Tainan City, health officials report, bringing the total cases for the year to 48. The latest patient is an 80-year-old man from Rongheli, Zuozhen District. He has no history of going abroad recently. On Friday, he was sent to the hospital […]The post Local transmission of dengue in Taiwan rises to 48 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Two provinces in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines declared dengue fever outbreaks this week after reporting dramatic increases in the mosquito-borne infection in 2019. In the province of Capiz, Governor Esteban Evan Contreras signed Executive Order putting the entire province under dengue outbreak. 18 infections you can get from mosquitoes […]The post Philippines: Dengue outbreaks declared in Capiz, Guimaras provinces appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on a recent report, Iceland health officials reported an additional E. coli infection in a one and a half year old child Friday, bringing the total cases in the cluster to 17. A cluster of infections due to verotoxin producing Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O26:H11 has been linked to […]The post Iceland: E. coli cluster rises to 17 cases, Linked to Efstidalur II farm appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Florida state health officials have reported 10 confirmed Vibrio vulnificus cases through July 12, according to the latest data. Cases have been confirmed in the following counties: Broward, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Manatee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco and Pinellas (3). No deaths have been reported. In 2018, health officials saw 42 confirmed cases and nine […]The post Florida reports 10 Vibrio vulnificus cases year-to-date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Salmonella Reading outbreak Public Health — Seattle & King County report investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis associated with a private event held on April 20, 2019. Multiple potluck items were brought by party attendees. Assorted smoked and barbecued meat was also provided, including pork (whole pigs cut into quarters), turkey legs, and lamb. […]The post King County, Washington: Salmonella outbreak, New measles case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is reporting the state’s first measles case of 2019 in an young adult from Stark County. The patient recently traveled to an undisclosed state with confirmed measles cases. This is the first confirmed measles case in Ohio since 2017. “Vaccinations save lives, period. I urge everyone […]The post Ohio reports 1st measles case since 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Iowa health officials reported Friday on the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection this year in an older adult male from Audubon County. “Humans get infected with West Nile virus through a mosquito bite,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Caitlin Pedati. “Until the state’s first hard frost, whether it’s for […]The post Iowa reports 1st human West Nile virus case of 2019 in Audubon County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Maine health officials have confirmed a case of meningococcal disease in a student who attends Wiscasset Middle High School. Maine CDC has informed Wiscasset Middle High School and local medical facilities of the case and is working with them to notify exposed individuals. The student attended two public events during their infectious period: […]The post Meningococcal disease case reported in Wiscasset, Maine student appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In Sichuan province, China, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) has been confirmed, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The virus was isolated from stool specimens of an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case from Liangshan Yi Autonomous prefecture with onset of paralysis on April 25. The stain is genetically linked to […]The post China reports polio case from Sichuan province, Pakistan records 9 more WPV1 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Kisumu County, Kenya government is reporting a suspected anthrax outbreak that has sickened a half dozen and killed one, according to a Citizen TV report. We have cases of suspected anthrax in the county. Two people were admitted to hospital Thursday and one has since died,” Dr Jonathan Billis, who is the […]The post Kenya: Suspected anthrax outbreak in Kisumu County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of syphilis cases has been consistently going up across Europe since 2010, mostly affecting men who have sex with men living in urban areas. In 2017, notification rates reached an all-time high in the EU/EEA countries with more than 33 000 reported cases. An in-depth ECDC study describes the factors behind this increase […]The post Syphilis: Europe reports 70 percent rise since 2010, Iceland reports largest increase appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a press release today confirming that it is investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease illnesses in the Bangor area. As of now, there are 6 cases. This is a high number of cases in such a short period, considering the state […]The post Maine CDC Announces Legionnaires Disease Cluster in Bangor Area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe The New York Department of Health announced yesterday that they are working in collaboration with several county and local health departments to investigate a cluster of Cyclospora illnesses in the Capital Region of the state. As of today, the DOH has confirmed 11 cases of Cyclosporiasis associated with this current […]The post New York’s Capital Region in the Thick of a Cyclospora Outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Fairfax County, VA health officials report investigating an outbreak of a yet unidentified respiratory illness at Greenspring, a long-term care facility with assisted living and skilled nursing care, in Springfield, Va. Fairfax County Health Department was recently informed that over the last 11 days a total of 54 individuals out of the 263 residents in […]The post Virginia: Outbreak at long-term care facility in Springfield, Dozens sickened and two dead appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Eastern Visayas Officials with the Department of Health in the Eastern Visayas (Region 8), which encompasses Samar, Leyte and Biliran, are reporting an 86 percent increase in dengue fever compared to the same period in 2018. From January 1 to July 11 this year, 4,809 confirmed cases, including 19 fatalities have been recorded. […]The post Philippines: Dengue fever in Leyte, Samar and Iloilo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Jory Lange The New York City Health Department is testing the water at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43rd Street, after two building residents were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. According Department of Health Commissioner Barbot, “The New York City Health Department is working with building management to test the water in your building because two […]The post Another Manhattan Legionnaires Disease Outbreak? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Thailand health officials are reporting an increase in dengue fever this year, in fact, they are reporting the highest number of cases by this time in five years, according to Thai PBS World. According to the Thai Bureau of Epidemiology, there have been 44,671 cases of dengue fever reported in the country through […]The post Thailand reports increase in dengue fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe.com In breaking news, three people have confirmed E. coli O157:H7 illnesses linked to a Red Robin restaurant in Westminster, Colorado. Two of these cases are children, and two people have been hospitalized as a result of their E. coli infections. As of now, the restaurant has been closed and will […]The post E. coli O157:H7 Linked to Colorado Red Robin appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Hawaii state health officials have reported the 6th angiostrongyliasis, or rat lungworm disease case of 2019 in an adult visitor to Hawaii Island. The total cases this year include three residents and three visitors all of which likely contracted the disease on Hawaii Island. The sixth individual was an adult resident of the […]The post Hawaii reports 6th rat lungworm case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Robert Herriman @infectiousdiseasenews To put it straight, the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is just plain bad…horrible. The crisis is complex –large, serious disease outbreaks, millions of internally displaced people (the largest displacement crisis in Africa), violent conflict (There are now more than 100 armed groups vying for territory […]The post Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola, measles, monkeypox and polio appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Riley Tedrow, PhD, a medical entomologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has uncovered new findings about malaria transmission in Madagascar. In a recent study published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, he also describes real-world application of an effective mosquito surveillance strategy using low cost traps and a recently reported tool that simultaneously tests […]The post Malaria Transmission in Madagascar: Study reveals new findings appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreak that may be related to contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reports that as of Wednesday, 10 confirmed cases and one probable case have been reported in this outbreak. Three […]The post E. coli outbreak update: 10 confirmed cases, one probable appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials with the City of El Paso confirmed that a woman in her late 40’s and a male toddler have tested positive for measles. the health department says anyone who visited the following places on the dates noted below should review his/her immunization status to confirm that they are properly immunized against […]The post Texas: 2 measles cases reported in El Paso, Fort Bliss among exposure locations appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Taiwan health officials reported two additional locally transmitted dengue fever cases in Tainan City on Wednesday. The patients were a 40-year-old woman from Da Enli in the Southern District and a 60-year-old male in Annan District. Both individuals have no recent travel history. The diagnosis of dengue virus type 2 was confirmed by […]The post Dengue: Two additional cases reported in Tainan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Los Angeles County health officials report investigating the county’s 12th measles case of the year in a University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) employee. Health officials are looking to identify others who may be at risk for measles and have been exposed to this individual. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health […]The post Los Angeles measles: 12th case reported in a UCLA employee appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

SIGA Technologies, Inc. (SIGA), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the health security market, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to support work necessary to gain a potential label expansion for TPOXX® (tecovirimat) that would include Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) of smallpox. The contract is valued […]The post Smallpox PEP: SIGA awarded DOD contract to develop TPOXX appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), part of Wageningen University & Research, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) hereby announce a new partnering agreement. With support from the European Union’s (EU’s) Horizon 2020 programme, CEPI will provide up to US$12.5 million for vaccine manufacturing, preclinical research, and a phase 1 study to assess the safety, […]The post Rift Valley fever: Wageningen University awarded $12.5 million to develop human vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.